THE WOKK OF THE FOREST DEPARTMENT IN INDIA. 



31 



(e) TANNING MATERIALS. 



The old methods of tanning with barks are being rapidly 

 replaced by the use of extracts, the consumption of tanning 

 materials is steadily increasing, and local supplies may soon 

 prove inadequate; it is therefore probable that the tanners of 

 Europe and America will have to depend in future, at any rate 

 to some extent, on imported materials. The forests of India are 

 rich in undeveloped tanning materials and there is unquestion- 

 ably a great opportunity for technical research as well as for 

 industrial and commercial development in this country. The 

 study of tanning materials is being steadily prosecuted at the 

 Forest Research Institute, and with the object of enquiring into 

 the commercial possibilities of preparing tan extracts the 

 Government of India have recently secured the services of a 

 tannin expert from England. Among the more important tannin 

 producing materials at present known the following may be 

 mentioned : 



Myrabolans. The fruits of Terminalia Chebula, or chebulic 

 myrabolans, are tanning agents of primary importance. By 

 themselves they do not tan leather of good texture but they 

 give excellent results when mixed with other deeply coloured 

 barks and are in great demand all over the world. The statis- 

 tics of exports from India are as follows : 



Export figures, myrabolans. 



Except as regards the possibility of manufacturing extracts 

 locally and of exporting the dried pulp after removal of the 

 kernels, it does not seem possible to do much more in connection 

 with this product. 



